First OS model Google Android Wear

In July, global sales of G Watch, LG smartwatches powered by an operating room, started. Android system wear. This is indeed a welcome development: there has never been an operating system on the market designed specifically for wearable devices and available to various manufacturers. Everyone developed their own OS or heavily modified Android. And so Google created a standardized software platform, which will be used by a number of end device manufacturers.

After installing the application and connecting the watch via Bluetooth, we are shown brief tips on how to using Android Wear (both on the smartphone and on the watch), after which we get to the main menu of the smartphone android apps wear.

It looks stylish, but the functionality is, in fact, very poor. Actually, with the help of this application, you can make some settings, as well as install third-party applications. Among the settings is the ability to assign applications for voice search(for example, if you have two applications on your watch that can perform the same function, then using this setting you can specify which one will be used for voice control), enable / disable notifications on the watch, enable / disable Bluetooth debugging, and some other options.

To install third-party applications, you need to scroll down the smartphone application menu to the very end and click on "Search for compatible applications." Then we will go to Google Play Store, which will open a list of Android Wear apps.

So far, they are all free, and the number of them is not at all impressive: when we first received the LG G Watch, there were 34 of them, two weeks later - 35 (including those already installed on the watch). Which is quite surprising. It's likely that Google hasn't yet made any effort to promote Android Wear to developers.

It is also interesting that if we install an application from this list, then it is installed on both the watch and the smartphone. That is, there are no independent applications for watches. In general, Android Wear constantly encourages you to use your smartphone. Almost any piece of information displayed on the watch screen is accompanied by the “Open on Smartphone” button. The very same information is displayed in an adapted form. This will be discussed in more detail in the next section of the article.

Functionality of LG G Watch and Android Wear

As already mentioned, LG G Watch is based on Google's new OS - Android Wear, designed specifically for smart watches (and in the future - other types of wearable electronics). In principle, the functionality of Android Wear is a separate big topic, and we will definitely return to this issue after we see at least one more device on Android Wear, so as not to make conclusions about the OS based on a single device. Therefore, everything that will be described below is not detailed overview OS, but rather first impressions and those moments that seem to us the most important in connection with the LG G Watch.

The main interaction with the clock occurs through voice control and Google service now.

As a matter of fact, the concept is very similar to what we saw in Google Glass. Only there it all started with the command "OK, Glass", and here - "OK, Google". We touch the screen, we say “OK, Google”, we ask a command or a question. For example: "Weather in Moscow". After a couple of seconds, the clock gives information (see below screenshot on the left). If we need to know more, we swipe from right to left and see the weather forecast for the coming days (see screenshot on the right).

Can I ask you a question. And after a few seconds of “thinking” we will get an answer.

The screenshot on the right shows that a photo of the person you are looking for is displayed under the information card, so if you raise or lower the card a little, the photo will be visible. But still not very good. And there is only one photo. If we make a request not “Who is Alla Pugacheva?”, But “Photos of Alla Pugacheva”, then all the same we will see not a set of photos (which would be logical - after all, there is a Google Images service), but links to sites where in the header or keywords spoken phrase. And to open the site, you need to get a smartphone. Let's take another example.

A request was made: "Red Square". The watch showed neither a photo nor a route - instead, there was a strange card with some ratings (and missing ones - see the screenshot above on the left), after which there was a card from Wikipedia, and then from other sites. The displayed cards are arranged vertically, that is, to view them, you need to swipe from the bottom up. If you touch the card, the site will open on your smartphone. You can’t see more information on the watch itself, so many cards are simply meaningless, since there is very little information on them (see the card from Wikipedia). It comes to the ridiculous: for the request "Bathing the red horse" we receive a set of cards, none of which can fit the full name of the artist. Therefore, we see something like this: ""Bathing the Red Horse" is a painting by Kuzma Petrov-...".

But back to building a route. If your request contains one of the words that clearly indicates a desire to get somewhere, then the watch immediately sets the route on the smartphone. So, the watch responded to the request “Get to Red Square” as follows:

The route itself, the map and other navigation elements were displayed on the smartphone.

Similarly, you can create notes, calendar events, dictate SMS. The clock recognizes the Russian language very well, and if the command touches the built-in application (for example, “set an alarm clock”), then it immediately displays what is needed on the screen, that is, not the application icon, but the already necessary options inside the application. If you want to remove the card, then you need to swipe from left to right. But note that this action cannot be undone, and if you hide the notification like that, and then realize that you need it, you will have to get your smartphone.

By the way, about notifications. I think we can agree that in the smartwatch that we have seen before, this is one of the main features. Alas, Android Wear does not work with notifications quite the way we would like. For example, if you receive letters, then you cannot open them on your watch and read them. You see only the sender and sometimes the subject, and then not completely.

Only SMS can be read in full. Answer incoming call you can’t directly by the clock (since there is no speaker - perhaps this will be implemented in another watch model), but worse than that, you can’t turn off the vibration (which is useful when you can’t answer, but don’t want to hang up the call). But you can send SMS directly from the watch “I can’t speak. Something urgent?" and "I'll call you back."

In general, in terms of working with notifications, the Samsung watch and bracelet, as well as Pebble watch we find it more convenient and functional tools. Whereas LG G Watch and Android Wear is primarily a terminal for Google usage Now and only secondarily - a device for displaying notifications.

As for other features, it is worth noting here the Agenda application, which is synchronized with Google Calendar, pedometer, notes Google Keep, Compass, as well as all sorts of options related to the basic "watch" features: alarm clock, timer, stopwatch, world time.

Of course there is big choice clock screensavers. To change the screensaver that is currently selected, you just need to click on the screen and hold it a little, after which a gallery of available clocks will open (we had 24 options available).

One of the prettiest, in our opinion, options is Photos. Here as a background for ordinary digital clock will be displayed every time new photo(it is always some kind of beautiful landscape - apparently, from the memory of the watch itself). Whether it is possible to upload your own photos to display as a background remains a mystery. Most likely, theoretically this is possible with the help of development tools, but a convenient user interface to customize the device yet. And here Android Wear loses Tizen in Samsung watches.

We did not find any additional types of watches among third-party applications. By the way, third-party applications are installed in the Start menu, so to launch them on the watch, you need to do the following: tap the watch screen (to wake it from sleep mode), then tap again (you will be prompted to say a voice command), after this swipe from the bottom up (the menu opens), then scroll to the penultimate icon - “Start”, click on it and then select the application. A very long way!

PC connection

The built-in memory of the watch is closed to the user: without special tricks, we cannot write anything there and rewrite nothing from there. It makes sense to connect a smartphone to a PC for two reasons: in order to perform some actions related to the development or installation of third-party applications (not from the Play Store, and therefore at your own risk), or in order to remove screenshot. There is no built-in tool for taking screenshots in Android Wear yet, so such a seemingly simple operation requires long dances with a tambourine.

First you need to install android computer SDK and "teach" the PC to understand the adb command (for Mac - ./adb). How to do this - there are many instructions on the Internet, I personally used this one under OS X 10.10 (a - a good Russian translation).

Next, you need to enable the developer mode in the watch. To do this, go to "Settings", scroll to the menu "About device" and click seven times on the item "Build number". Next, we return to the "Settings" menu, scroll down to the end and see that the "For Developers" item has appeared. We go into it and activate the item "Debugging with ADB".

After that, we connect the clock to the PC via USB, run command line(in Mac - Terminal), and if you did everything correctly, then adb command shell screencap -p /sdcard/screenshot.png will create a screenshot, and the adb pull /sdcard/screenshot.png command will copy it to the computer (respectively, when creating the next screenshot, you need to change the name to screenshot1.png, screenshot2.png, etc. ). For Mac, these commands will look the same, but with the addition of ./ before adb (no space). However, the instructions on the links above describe how you can do without./

Offline work

As expected, duration battery life turned out to be one of the weak points of the device - despite even the large (compared to competitors) battery capacity. Apparently, there are two reasons: firstly, an IPS screen that constantly consumes energy (if you want your clock to always be displayed), and secondly, the operating system. However, the latter is just our guess, and we need to look at the battery life of other Android Wear devices to finally confirm or refute this hypothesis.

Of course, the battery life of the LG G Watch will greatly depend on your usage scenarios - how often you will use the watch for certain operations. But most likely you will have to recharge the watch every day. In general, it feels like the LG G Watch is inferior here Samsung Gear 2, not to mention Pebble.

conclusions

The LG G Watch is now available on Russian market at a price of 7990 rubles. Is it a lot or a little? On the one hand, this is significantly less than the cost of the Samsung Gear 2, and even less than the cost of the Samsung Gear 2 Neo (smartwatch version without a camera). On the other hand, for the same money you can buy a Samsung Gear Fit, and a Pebble watch is even cheaper (however, in the "gray" retail - they are not officially supplied to our market yet). But it's not even about the money. Android Wear is still an experiment. If Google makes enough efforts to promote this project and quickly improve its OS, then Android Wear has every chance of becoming in the smartwatch market about the same as the "adult" Android has become in the smartphone and tablet market, that is, the dominant solution. But so far, the feeling of this product is something like Google Glass. It seems very cool, the wow effect is present (albeit weaker), but how to use it in everyday life is not entirely clear. Do you often use Google Now on your smartphone? If so, then the LG G Watch may be useful to you. But if not, then you will have to break your user habits and relearn to fully tap into the potential of the LG G Watch.

Like Google Glass, this is an innovative product (more precisely, the software component is innovative here). it A New Look on the functionality of smart watches: the emphasis here is shifted to working with a voice assistant and searching the Internet. Samsung Gear Fit or Pebble can do neither, but they work better with notifications, and they are simpler and more understandable. It would seem that there is nothing sky-high complicated in the LG G Watch either, but the very fact that the visible menu does not display even half of the device’s capabilities leads to a stupor and makes you reconsider your habits. A simple example: we are used to the fact that if a device has a function, it should be in the menu. For example, we want to build a route, look at the menu, find the desired application, open it and see the desired function there. With Android Wear, everything is different: the desired command may not be in the menu at all, but it may be available through a voice command.

Another point: it's quite difficult to get used to all these cards and swipes in different directions. Again, Google is breaking our habits here. Let's say we're used to closing an app with a vertical swipe (iOS, Windows 8). Here, the card is closed with a horizontal swipe, and it's not at all as intuitive as in an Android smartphone, when you close the thumbnails of applications lined up in a vertical row. Well, there are many such examples. That is, Google is not trying to build on our already existing user experience, but is trying to create it from scratch. Of course, at first it is annoying and repulsive. The feeling that you have an unknown little animal in your hands, in which it is generally not clear where the legs are and where the ears are. Although when you get used to it, you start to think that everything is logical, and it seems that it could not have been done otherwise.

We also note that sometimes some flaws caught my eye: something hung up, something flew out, periodically the watch “lost” the smartphone (although here it is, lying next to it, and no one touches it). In general, the full range of sensations of a beta tester is provided to the owner of this product. But, we believe, neither Google nor LG and do not count on the massive use of this device. So far, this is really a product for enthusiasts, as well as for developers who are eyeing a new platform. In fact, if you're writing Android apps, we strongly recommend that you get an Android Wear product as soon as possible and try your hand at wearable software. Because while Android Wear, with all its features and specifics, is the strongest claim to leadership in the smartwatch segment.

However, do I need to buy LG G Watch or wait for Samsung Gear Live or Motorola Moto 360 is a difficult question. Perhaps, if there is no task to write under Android Wear right now, then it is better to wait (after all, the LG G Watch itself has absolutely no killer features, except for the status of the first Android Wear device). well and ordinary users I would recommend generally waiting until the fall, when the most anticipated product in the field of wearable electronics will be released (or at least announced): Apple iTime. There are two options here: either you passionately want an Apple gadget, and then it makes no sense to buy something from other companies now, or you will realize that it is still better to buy a product without an apple, but then Apple competitors will certainly drop the price of existing models and New ones are being announced quickly.

Although it will be funny if Apple deceives all expectations this time and does not introduce a smart wearable device... :)

In fact, there were worthy attempts: the first version of Huawei Watch, LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE, Casio WSD-F10, and now F20 and probably the first Fossil Q Founder.

But all these watches had their drawbacks, although I admit that the Casio model lacked only a speaker, but otherwise an ideal sports watch. What actually happened?

The LG Watch Sport was supposed to be Google's first wearable, but the branding dispute seems to have been resolved in favor of LG. The whole story is about the fact that over the clock, the companies worked together. It turns out that LG Watch Sport is the flagship of the year for Android Wear.

Package contents LG Watch Sport

Let's start with the kit. In addition to the watch, it includes: a charging cradle, Type-C cable, plus the adapter itself and the key to extract the sim card.

The charging stand is very similar to what we saw on the first Moto360.

The watch is charged using the Qi standard and connected from either side. It's nice that it's not micro-USB, but modern Type-C.

Energy reserves from 0 to 100% Watch Sport will restore as much as three hours, not about any fast charging and you shouldn't think about it, but in ASUS ZenWatch 3 it just exists, 60% in 15 minutes.

autonomy

As for battery life. If you do not use Google Fit and an LTE connection, the clock will last for two days, you can probably stretch it out for three days if you also turn off GPS, but if you use it to its full potential, it will last no more than daylight hours.

For autonomy, a 430 mAh battery is responsible here.

Appearance

The watch is quite thick - 14.2 mm, but for a man's hand, this basically means nothing.

They are massive, which is why they look very cool, although of course the taste and color ...

The Watch Sport case is made of 316 L steel - matte metal is very good.

The strap is rubber. In fact, it is interchangeable if there is a screwdriver, but it will be difficult to choose the right one, it is outwardly, but if anything - 22 mm.

The watch sits comfortably on the hand, but it is really large, the diameter is 45 mm, this is not a women's version, although it cannot be said that they are heavy, only 90 g.

This is how the watch looks in comparison with the first generation Huawei Watch.

Compared to Apple Watch 42mm.

Protection

Yes, of course, Watch Sport has protection against water and dust according to the IP68 standard, and you can take it to the pool.

There is nothing superfluous on the case - three function keys and a screen covered with outdated Gorilla Glass 3, which is not the best option for a watch.

Screen

Here, the pOLED matrix has a diameter of 1.38 inches and a resolution of 480x480 pixels.

It's impossible to see the pixels - this is the best display of any smartwatch, and it's very bright.

In the settings you can also set automatic adjustment brightness, although where the light sensor is here, it is not visible, but it is.

Ease of use

As for the buttons. Any applications are installed on the top and bottom quick start, but the central button opens the menu or the google assistant with a long hold.

It is not clear why nothing can be done by double-clicking or holding additional keys - this would be logical, and yes, if on Huawei Watch the back action works with a single key, then here it is done using a “swipe” and this is inconvenient. But what pleased me was the central key, which works like a digital crown on the Apple Watch. With its help, you can scroll, zoom, you can’t imagine better for a watch, a useful feature.

Hardware

In general, the LG Watch Sport is a pleasure to use, and it's also very fast. Not only is the latest Snapdragon Wear 2100 here, but 768 MB more random access memory and 4 GB built-in, today it is the fastest smart watch.

System

They work on Android Wear 2.0, the system has finally been finalized to an acceptable level, now at least you can use it.

Menu by pressing, new notification curtain and a large number of desired applications. In addition, LG has added their own exclusive customizable watch faces here, all very cool, just stuffed with widgets, buttons and additional information. Another funny nuance, when you reboot it is displayed current time, a good find.

There are a lot of sensors in the watch, which is why they are called sports, although outwardly they are suitable for both sports and business style.

There is:

• GPS receiver
• barometer
• Gyroscope
• Accelerometer
• The heart rate sensor works great.

Most pleasing is how Google has updated Fit now with the help of applications you can do almost any workout, and bike, and run, and stepper.

Usage scenarios are simple great amount, although no one bothers to put additional programs, like Runkeeper or strallo.

Built-in interfaces include:

• WiFi b/g/n
• Bluetooth 4.2,LE
• A-GPS
• Android Pay, by the way, a thing that is relevant for Russia, since already in April the service was launched in our country
• LTE, there is a slot for a nano-SIM card

The clock can generally work without a phone having its own network. You can use the Internet and calls, since there is both a microphone and a speaker. Telegram is right there, well, how convenient it is!

Watch Sport supports 3G and LTE communication, but you should be careful here, the American version will not work in Russia, the European or Rost-Test will suit us. What are the known issues with Watch Sport?

• If you have connected the watch to an Android phone and at the same time connected a Bluetooth headset to the same phone, you will not be able to make a call from the headset, because the phone thinks that the watch is working as a headset;
• If you press on a call Bluetooth connection, then absolutely nothing happens, the problem is definitely in Android and apparently they will fix it only in the next updates.

Cost of LG Watch Sport

The cost of LG Watch Sport in the US is $349

There are two colors, gray and dark blue, the second is for everyone.

Briefly about LG Watch Style

In stock, LG has Watch Style in those colors, the model is more compact and $100 cheaper.

Not included in the package:

• speaker
• NFC for Android Pay
• SIM card slot
• heart rate monitor

This is a compact watch for notifications and nothing else, but the digital crown is also spinning.

Both versions of the watch will be sold in Europe including Russia. Prices are not yet known, as are even the approximate dates for the start of sales, but why should we wait? Due to network support, of course, if network operators are not lazy, then we will get a duplicate sim card with the same number, but for hours.

Outcome

What can be said about Watch Sport, unequivocally masculine and unambiguously best watch on Android Wear.

Is it worth taking?

Expensive, but the watch is worthy of its money, although it does not seem to be up to AppleWatch in quality.

It's not about assembly or technology, no, the watch is very cool and well assembled, it's just that the plastic crebol is not the prettiest, the box is simple.

About LG Watch Style

LG Watch Style essentially the female version of the watch was deprived of really necessary functions, where is NFC Android Pay? At Apple, both versions of the watch are technically the same, but here, like it or not, there is some kind of discrimination, or something ...

Watch Sport is good for a man, not for a girl. The same thing with Watch Style, only exactly the opposite, and in the younger version, in principle, there is no sense left, although on the other hand there are still many good options on Android Wear, this is Android's good choice.

3-4 years ago in model range The well-known South Korean brand had only two models of smart watches: LG Watch G Watch, made in a square case and an accessory of the classic round shape LG Watch G Watch R. And if the first form factor has not received further development, then the second generation of G Watch R formed the basis of a whole family of modifications popular with users, including the hero of this review, the smart watch LG G Watch R W110.

The device at first glance looks great, and asks for a wrist.

The classic round shape and absolutely black execution of the accessory can be combined with any men's clothing. Body material - stainless steel. The accessory weighs just over 60 grams. External design the device resembles classic expensive mechanics with a scale of hours and minutes around the display. The strap of the model is removable, leather.

The watch comes in a stylish compact black box with the version logo on the lid, painted in white. The package contains a wrist gadget on a strap (width 22 mm), a power supply and a USB cable for charging and connecting to a computer, a round magnetic cradle with a microUSB port, and brochures with information on how to use the device.

On the right side of the body of the device, there is a display button stylized as a wheel, like on a mechanical watch, which also performs the “Home” function. On the bottom panel there are magnetic contacts for connections to the cradle, through which the device can be charged or connected to a computer via a USB cable. There is also a heart rate monitor here.

Watch LG Watch R W110

Device Specifications

The design of the LG G Watch R family of models was built by LG developers on the basis of a 4-core Qualcomm processor Snapdragon 400, paired with the Adrent 305 graphics coprocessor. 512 MB of RAM is allocated for memory, and 4 GB for applications and utilities.

Important! The device is powered by a 410 mAh battery. On a single charge, the watch in active mode can work up to 48 hours, the time full charge about 2 hours.

The round display of the model in question differs in characteristics from the square screen that LG G Watch smart watches are equipped with: Polymer OLED with a dimension of 1.3 inches, a resolution of 320˟320 pixels with a density of 348 ppi versus an IPS with a dimension of 1.65 inches, with a resolution of 280˟280 pixels with a density of 240 ppi. The watch screen matrix provides excellent color reproduction and image clarity from any viewing angle, as well as low power consumption. The display is protected by a durable glass with an olephobic coating.

Other equipment and features:

• Bluetooth 4.0 LE adapter;
• microphone;
• gyroscope;
• accelerometer;
• heart rate monitor;

• compass;
• vibration signal;
• voice control function "OK Google";

• synchronization with a smartphone;
• collection of preset watch faces (24);

• function to control the playback of musical compositions available in the smartphone's memory;
• the ability to install third-party applications.

The manufacturer declared the level protection against moisture and dust according to the IP67 standard. Work LG G Watch R running Android Wear OS.

The accessory comes with pre-installed applications traditional for smartwatches: a calendar with notes, alarm clocks, a stopwatch, a collection of dials (more than 20), voice control, a calculator. The functionality of the gadget is much wider in synchronization with a smartphone via Bluetooth, because it turns into an informant from all services and applications running on a smartphone:

Operation features

In the arsenal of the owner of the smart watch LG G Watch R 2 options for controlling the gadget: by swiping on touch screen or voice commands through voice assistant OK Google.

The role of the display screen saver is assigned to the dial. Dial replacement performed by finger tapping on the screen with a hold. The collection of watches has a large number of dials designed in a sports theme.

Advice! The base collection can be expanded through the Play Market app store.

Tapping on the screen opens the main menu. Swipe up from the bottom of the column of menu items to navigate in order to select the desired item.

The list of menu items has item "Settings". Here you can adjust the screen brightness, synchronize the watch via Bluetooth with a smartphone, turn off smartphones paired with the watch, put the gadget into flight mode. If necessary, you can use the "for developers" mode: for example, deciding to practice developing an individual watch face.

The list of applications installed on smart watches from LG is displayed when you open the Start menu item.

The gadget has another interesting mode: “error reporting”: in it, the system analyzes applications that are not working correctly and displays a report on the errors found. Also, the report can be redirected to a smartphone.

Advice! During the operation of this mode, according to the reviews of the owners, it is better not to use other functionality. The mode is resource-intensive and slows down the work of all other functions.

Currently, the model can be purchased through the popular online sites ebay.com or ru.aliexpress.com. Price from 11500 rubles.

Watch LG Watch R W110

- the second "round" smart watch on Android, which fell into our hands. The first - Moto 360 of the second generation - were awarded a fairly voluminous and long text: and the OS was a curiosity, and Android in the circle. But, as I mentioned, any Android Wear smartwatch is more similar to each other than any Android smartphone. Here and the same interface, and plus or minus the same characteristics. There is a slight difference in the manufacturer's proprietary software, diagonal and display resolution, but the design differs most of all from manufacturer to manufacturer. Therefore, this material will not be so voluminous and the main role in it will be assigned to the appearance.

What's this?

Smart watch on Android Wear with a round display (P-OLED, 1.3”, resolution 320x320 pixels, pixel density 245 ppi). Interchangeable leather strap, massive metal frames (gold or silver, material - stainless steel), Snapdragon processor 400, 512 MB RAM and 410 mAh battery. That is, everything is more or less standard.

So what's up with the design?

4 reasons to buy LG Watch Urbane:

• you like more brutal appearance;
• they have slightly better autonomy than the Moto 360 (2nd generation);
• they are round and on Android Wear, unlike other watches in this price category;
• you have flagship smartphone LG and you are looking for a companion for him.

2 reasons not to buy LG Watch Urbane:

• design is not for you;
• it looks like Android Wear isn't for you either, because you need a more sports-oriented device.

LG Watch Style is one of the first smart watch running on Android Wear 2.0. A little later, Huawei Watch 2 joined the fun, but the “skis” were still ahead of their competitor. In addition, this is the first smart watch that I liked so much that I decided to buy it. Bought, tested, tell how it is.

Where did you get it?

US Google Play Store. For at the time of order (March 21) about start of sales of LG Watch Style nothing was known in Russia, and the price tag of $249 looked quite acceptable.

Now I will not talk about the nuances LG Watch Style purchases in the foreign Play Store (does not work in Russia), better read our detailed instructions by ordering parcels from there here. Let me just say that the procedure is very simple and guaranteed reliable. Not at all the same as buying in the American Apple Store. Without a "human" address in the States, it is almost impossible to do this.

The delivery time to Kaluga in my case was about 18 days, but it could have been a couple of days faster if I had not made a mistake with filling out the declaration for customs. Well, I did it for the first time, so it's forgivable. In general, there are no problems. You can also order cheaper Google Pixel. It will cost 10 thousand cheaper than gray deliveries in Russia.

Why LG Watch Style?

At one time, I dreamed of buying a Moto 360, but I was stopped by a dark bar at the bottom of the screen. The gadget looked very cool, but this black spot didn’t fit into any gates.

Then came the 1st generation Huawei Watch (review). I caught fire with this model, but when I found out the price, I immediately cooled down. To give 30,000 rubles for a gadget from which you need two functions - thank you.

Now many manufacturers are rethinking their pricing policy in relation to wearable devices, because the market is practically not growing. Those who wanted to have bought a smart gadget for themselves a long time ago and are not going to change it - there is no point. And those who have doubts are not ready to give more than 350-400 dollars for the sake of the experiment (whether they like it or not). In fact, this is the cost of a modern and very cool smartphone (for example,), and you need to pay the same amount for a trinket, albeit a smart one.

And then LG Watch Style appeared on the horizon - a cool and minimalistic design, a round screen, a new system (Android Wear up to version 2 is a quiet horror) and an adequate price tag. Why not buy it?

Unboxing

For the first time I took up this business, shot a video and this is what came of it. Please do not judge strictly, because this is almost my first experience.

Inside the package, I found a power supply with an American plug for 100-240 volts, power output 5 V and 0.85 A. There was also a cable with a USB plug on one end and a real wireless charger on the other. The clock is placed on the platform on either side and on the way - the power has gone. There are no connectors here.

I didn't find anything else of interest. Spare straps were not put in the box, because the watch is already very expensive. available money. Separately, by the way, they are sold for 50 bucks for silicone and 60 dollars for leather versions. Not so bad, right?

Design and convenience

In real life, the clock looks no worse than on renders. Beautiful, thin (10.79 mm), neat. On the hand sit perfectly, do not look alien.

My wrist is not very wide, and therefore the same Huawei Watch 2 looks on the hand, like some kind of Pip-boy 3000. This order of things is no good.

The case is made of steel (!) 316L.

In other words, it is jewelry steel, which is used to make classic watches, jewelry, elite phone models, surgical instruments or expensive kitchen utensils. In general, the material will not hit the face in the dirt.

The front case is matte, not painted, but simply processed in a special way. There is every reason to believe that it is not subject to scratches. Still steel.

There is mirror processing on the sides and this is already a place of risk. Nothing happened for a week, but I am sure that over time, scratches will still appear.

Screen covered protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Not the latest generation, but it's not needed here. The 5th version of the "gorilla" is characterized by increased resistance when falling, but the watch from your hand is unlikely to fall to the floor. And the weight is not the one to break.

The only thing that confuses me on the front side is the very noticeable bezels around the screen.

The display is completely round, but there is a gap of one and a half to two millimeters between it and the body. It doesn't look like much, but maybe I'm picking on it.

Of the control buttons, there is only a scroll wheel, which is also a button to return to the dial or go to applications. It is coolly stylized as the crown of a classic watch. Is she really needed? No.

You can control modern Android Wear without any physical buttons at all, so this wheel on the side is just for decoration. Unfortunately, there is no vibration feedback when scrolling.

On the back side there is a plastic plug and a pair of holes for microphones. It is clear that there is no heart rate sensor here. Otherwise, the watch would have to be made thicker by at least 3 millimeters. We don't need it.

Another material that is not ashamed of is genuine Italian leather. It's made from a strap. It is gratifying that the manufacturer did not put a silicone thing in the kit, they say, if you want something more status, please buy it separately. And here the normal bracelet is already included.

The clasp on the strap is neat. The design is simple and ergonomic. Of course, the strap must be tightened tight enough so that the watch does not dangle. In this case, it is not very convenient to remove it, you need to strongly bend the bracelet to open the clasp. As a result, traces of these bends instantly appear on the strap. Whether this is good or bad, I don’t know, but in six months the bracelet will look like a devil with horns. I guarantee.

Leather strap wears out quickly

Attaching the bracelet is a separate conversation.

This is the most convenient mechanism that I have ever met. He pushed the lever and the strap fell off. No need to grow nails, pry tiny tongues, get into invisible holes - all this horror is not here.

Need to replace the complete strap with some other one from the watch store? Please!

The pin for attaching the bracelet can be easily removed, so there are no problems with this. You can not buy branded accessories for 50 bucks apiece.

Display

We are dealing with a P-OLED screen and this is bad.

Exactly the same type of matrices were installed by the company in and. Do you know what's cool about this type of screens? The fact that its structure is visible on a dark gray background. Like it's made of paper. It's hard to explain, it's better to see it live.

• diagonal 1.2-inch
• matrix type P-OLED
• resolution 360 x 360 pixels

There is graininess on the screen. I would not call a dot density of 299 ppi sufficient. I would like to get a higher resolution, but it's quite possible to live with it

But what really annoys is the viewing angles.

Under extreme tilt, the colors fade and a highly visible blue appears. The disadvantage is not that it is noticeable to you, but that others see it. An outsider notices that there is some kind of faded, incomprehensible picture on the display - and this does not make the best impression. It looks like a Chinese handicraft with a low-quality IPS screen.

Believe me, I have something to compare. At the same time I use Huawei Watch 2, and an AMOLED screen is installed here. It does not fade, but only slightly green, however, the picture remains the same clear, bright and juicy. This is another matter. True, there is a rather aggressive PenTile, but that's another story.

Unfortunately, the shortcomings of the Watch Style screen do not end there. According to my feelings, there is an air gap between the protective glass and the matrix. The picture is, as it were, recessed into the case, and for that accessory, like a smart watch, this is not good.

In general, the display is the bottleneck of the LG Watch Style. It really spoils the impression of using the gadget.

Functions

Android Wear before the second version was not that terrible. She was just miserable. The menu was slow, the navigation structure was very strange, large, uninformative icons. In addition, you had to remember a million gestures: here you need to swipe left, here only down, and here you can both right and left - go crazy!

Now the system has been slightly redrawn, rethought and optimized. Not that it has become a completely different "axis", no. Before us is the already familiar Android Wear, it just became much more logical and thoughtful.

I only need two functions from a smart watch: displaying the time and notifications that come to my smartphone. With the first, and so everything is clear - a convenient feature, proven for centuries. With alerts, the situation is as follows.

The smartphone is in a bag or backpack, because there is simply no place in the front pocket of jeans for modern shovels. The device received some message and it was immediately displayed on your watch. You just need to raise your hand to assess whether it is worth reaching into the backpack for a smartphone or the action can wait. Moreover, the notice can be read in its entirety, and not just part of it. The only pity is that it still remains unread on the smartphone.

Furthermore. Now you can reply to a notification (mail, Viber, WhatsApp, Skype, and so on) directly from your smartwatch. There is handwriting and text recognition, and there is a full keyboard with continuous input. The latter is, of course, a perversion. Believe me, it's easier to slip into your bag for your phone than to draw neat lines on a tiny keyboard. Quick answers come to the rescue, which are pre-driven into the device's memory.

LG Watch Style supports Google Assistant. However, the same support should be in the smartphone, and besides, the assistant so far understands only English. In general, this is a reserve for the future. The usual voice command "Ok Google" works with a bang.

Of course there is everything desired functions for counting physical activity: a million sports, walking, sleep tracking - all this is implemented through third-party applications or in the updated Google Fit. Perhaps this is the first application that you need to install and customize for yourself. Let it be.

Huawei Watch 2 (left) and LG Watch Style (right)

By the way, access to the Google Play Store is right on the watch - all programs suitable for the gadget are displayed there, which is very convenient. A little inconvenient that applications cannot be sent to the watch directly from the smartphone.

Specifications LG Watch Style W270

• 1.2" P-OLED display 360 x 360 pixels (299 ppi)
• protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor @ 1.1 GHz
• RAM 512 MB
• 4 GB built-in storage
• OS Android Wear 2.0 (2.0.0.152501970)
• iOS and Android compatibility including 7.1.1
• battery 240 mAh
• wireless standards: Wi-Fi (802.11 b / g / n) / Bluetooth 4.2 LE
• sensors: accelerometer, light sensor, gyroscope, vibration motor
• 316L steel body
• protection against moisture and dust IP67
• dimensions: 42.3 × 45.7 × 10.8 mm
• weight 46 grams

What I really miss about Watch Style is dynamics. The watch cannot be used as a Bluetooth headset.

And as my experience of communicating with Huawei Watch 2 (there is a speaker), this is a really useful feature. There are different situations in life, and it is not always possible to reach the phone. And then there is the opportunity to answer directly from the wrist and it's cool! Until it got hot, I also did not perceive this function.

Watch Style for some unknown reason was deprived of NFC.

So you can forget about wireless payment by the clock. And this despite the fact that very soon Android Pay will start in Russia.

There are no problems with connecting to the phone. The first connection is quick and painless. Subsequently, the connection is not lost, and after removing the smartphone from the clock at a decent distance, it is restored by itself.

Battery life

What do you want from a slim smart device with a 240 mAh battery? Weekly autonomy? Well, you do!

Watch Style works day and night. I charged it at 8 in the morning, put it on my arm, you get notifications all day long, you look at your watch, check the calendar and maps - by 10 pm the charge is 10 percent.

However, there is a plus to this. You don't need to remember: “So, yesterday I charged them, so today it is not necessary” or “Stop! Did I charge the watch yesterday or not? Hm…". If the autonomy was at the level of 2-3 days, then you could just get confused. And so, you go to bed, put your smartphone and smart watch on charge, and this procedure is daily. Good wireless charger allows you to do it casually and very conveniently. You can attach it to your bedside table with double-sided tape once and for all.

Outcome

Smart watch LG Watch Style- a great gadget for residents of the Magapolis and lovers of all sorts of electronic things. It's stylish, slim, good looking, and provides the basic functionality you'd expect from a smartwatch. Athletes, mountain hikers, this gadget is not for you. Look to the side special version— LG Watch Sport. There is a SIM card, and GPS, and a built-in heart rate monitor, and a more powerful battery, and more “RAM”. True, they are thicker (14.2 mm) and cost more - $ 349.

I really liked Android Wear 2.0 - now it's a system that you can work with. The operating system will be installed on all new smartwatches and will even arrive on some already released devices, so this is not an advantage of our particular device.

The biggest plus is Watch Style - stylish and slim body. And so, wearing a pip-boy on my arm is not my option personally.

However, there is a frankly frustrating minus - the display. And in smart watches, this is a key parameter. Graininess, poor viewing angles, the very texture of the P-OLED matrix, and the wide frames from the edge of the screen to the body - all this is really annoying. And even the chic and minimalist design can no longer save the situation. It turns out that Watch Style is not so ideal.

P.S. Does it make sense to tell how I bought watches in the American Google Store? If yes, write in the comments.